In the tranquil province of Kampong Chhnang, primary school children are discovering the joy of reading, trading mobile screens for the written word. This shift is thanks to the establishment of mobile libraries in their schools and communities.

Hoeun Sokkean, an 11-year-old sixth-grade student at Speanpor Primary School, recalls spending her free time playing with other village children before the mobile library’s arrival. Now, the library’s diverse book selection, particularly fairy tales she’d never encountered before, has captivated her attention.

“I’ve found myself drawn to books on fairy tales, life skills, cooking, and even ghost stories,” Sokkean gleefully expressed.

She also voiced her desire for an even broader book selection in the mobile library, with poetry, educational texts, and more life skills books topping her list.

After reading four or five books daily in the mobile library, Sokkean noticed a significant shift in her habits.

“The mobile library has changed my habit from playing to reading books, and it has boosted my abilities,” she said. “It can also help other students who cannot read or write to learn these essential skills”.

A similar sentiment is echoed by 13-year-old Chuob Sambath, another sixth-grade student. He used to spend his leisure time browsing his mobile phone and hanging out. However, the introduction of the mobile library has reoriented his priorities towards reading.

“My studies were weak before, but now since I spend my time reading books with friends and other kids in the village, my reading and writing skills have significantly improved,” Sambath affirmed.

He emphasised his pleasure in reading from the mobile library, and his wish for even more books to be added to its collection.

Set Srey Pich, the chairperson of the Classroom Committee at Speanpor Primary School and a student guardian, regards the mobile libraries as an effective tool to augment children’s intellectual growth beyond classroom learning.

She observed noticeable improvements in her children’s reading skills and an overall decrease in unconstructive playtime. She also noted similar enhancements in other village children’s reading abilities.

“Following the mobile library’s establishment in our school and village, my children have become smarter, their brains have developed more, and they have become more imaginative,” Srey Pich stated.

He highlighted: “This is a considerable change from before, when they were inclined to read only during classroom study”.

Serving as both a guardian and librarian, Srey Pich helps children select and read books from the mobile library. She is an enthusiastic advocate for literacy, encouraging all students to read more.

“I hope that organisations like Save the Children will continue to create projects to help children across the country, and especially in our community, to live better lives,” she shared.

Hel Sok, the deputy principal of Speanpor Primary School, spoke of the significance of the mobile library during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The school received a library from Save the Children, and he observed a remarkable transformation in the students’ behaviour and attitudes towards reading.

“The mobile library has encouraged students to use their free time for research and study beyond school hours,” Sok said.

Describing the changes, he added: “Students now spend their break times with books rather than on the playground. Many flock to the mobile library and seem to enjoy reading in groups, sometimes even gathering under a tree with a shared book”.

However, the library faces an issue of scale. The primary school serves three villages with a total of 652 students, which the current single mobile library can’t adequately cater for.

“I hope to see three or four more pushcart mobile libraries in the future to better serve our students,” Sok expressed.

El Lep, the education project manager of the Safe Return to School, Road to Equity and Resilience in Education (PEER) at Save the Children, responded to the creation of the mobile library.

The PEER project, financed by Save the Children Korea for three years, from 2021 to 2024, has been implemented in four districts of Kampong Chhnang province, covering a total of 32 primary schools, he said.

Lep explained that the project has facilitated numerous educational activities, including teacher training and reading promotion programs. Consequently, the mobile library initiative came into existence.

“The goal of the mobile library is to enable children living far from schools to read books without the need for long-distance travel. The mobile library travels from place to place, making books accessible in villages and communities,” Lep said.

He observed a behavioural change in children and their parents since the mobile library’s establishment, noting a transition from mobile phone use to book reading. Despite budget constraints leading to a few shortcomings, Lep confirmed their commitment to offering more reading opportunities.

“Although the mobile library hasn’t fully met the children’s needs due to our limited budget, we will continue to strive to provide them with more books,” he pledged.

Lap, who is part of the EQUAL project, stated that they have supplied a total of 6,254 books, while the PEER project has provided an additional 2,746 books, totalling 8,990 books in the mobile library.

“Across the 32 targeted primary schools in the four districts, we have 20 pushcart mobile libraries and 175 canvas mobile libraries serving a total of 12,383 students,” he said.